Joe A Shaw PA-C - 1/21/2012

Question
I have a question about hip replacements. I had  hip replacement in 1988. The cup has been replacement in 2010, at that time the surgeon  said the stem ws good. I have not twisted, or hurt it.  Can stem's fail without  much notice? My thigh hurts with weight bearing activities. It does not hurt at night or when I am sitting. Are these signs of the stem coming loose? Is 23 years a long time. I am 48. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Debbie,
Yes 23 yrs is a pretty long time for this kind of thing..You must not be obese or smoke and take good care of yourself?..It's hard to say if it is coming lose or not from your description,your ortho will need to get xrays and exam your hip and back. It can "fail" but it typically is gradual micro-loosening over time..now you may not be able to detect there is a problem until it gets bad enough to start feeling symptoms.